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The Winnipeg Jets have the St Louis Blues on the ropes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Even with shaky play from Connor Hellebucyk, Winnipeg can finally win a playoff series for the first time since 2021. They won't have Mark Scheifele after a few controversial hits in the first period. But the Jets are getting Nikolaj Ehlers back from injury just in time to put away the Blues.
Hey, Jets fans… Nikolaj Ehlers is projected to return to the lineup tonight. 🤭 #StanleyCup
📺: @NHLJets vs. @StLouisBlues Game 6 TONIGHT at 8p ET on @NHL_On_TNT, @SportsonMax, @Sportsnet, and @TVASports pic.twitter.com/KhHaEPbUVW
— NHL (@NHL) May 2, 2025
Ehlers has not played for the Jets since April 12 against the Chicago Blackhawks. He re-injured his foot in that win, missing the final two regular-season games and the first five playoff games. But he comes back just in time to help the team get over the hump in the first round.
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The Jets also got Gabe Vilardi back during the series. The 25-year-old did not score in Game 5, but his presence helped settle Vladislav Namestnikov into his role on the top line without Schiefele. Ehlers will join the team, too, as one of the top scorers on the squad. And he has a contract to play for.
Ehlers is in the final year of a seven-year contract that has paid off in spades for the Jets. The small-market team may not be able to keep him this offseason, sparking a significant free-agency chase for a lot of teams. Everyone who has been eliminated from the playoffs will tell themselves they need more scoring, and Ehlers provides that.
He enters the playoff stage playing in an arena that has been a house of horrors for the Jets. They lost both games in St Louis after going up 2-0, and Hellebuyck struggled. His issues could get papered over if Ehlers is his normal self. In the regular season this year, he scored 24 goals in 69 games. In the playoffs, he only has four goals in 37 games, which needs to change before free agency.
